AIBU to have put a tent up in the garden just because I WANT TO?

[WeBuiltCisCityOnSeeingSouls]

I am bored out of my fucking skull (on the shielding list plus nocturnal teenagers and cats who aren't about in daylight to provide company and entertainment for me, the selfish little fuckers )

It's warm and sunny here. AIBU to have erected a tent in my garden (not one of my big ones, just a little four person one, no separate bedroom pods). It has fairy lights, a big shaggy rug and beanbag chairs etc. I can drag an extension cord out too.

My reasoning is that my DCs who share a room and moan about it, can use it as an extra bedroom, or they can just chill out in it in the day. It can be a change of scenery for me. Plus I just fucking love tents

But this morning I saw my neighbour (big garden, so tent not blocking their light or anything) look at it and laugh while exchanging a comment with their DS.

That's OK. They don't feel the tent love, fair enough although wrong. I know MN loves a tent thread, AIBU to have my tent up?

(DH has "helpfully" suggested I live in it in my own for 12 weeks as an isolation pod . He also doesn't like tents but I love him so much I married him anyway )

I would have laughed if I’d seen it, but not in a mocking way. It would have made me happy and he was probably telling his kid, he wise he’s he had a tent.

*he wishes

I think it’s a great idea, I’m going to steal it (the idea, not the tent) and put up ours tomorrow and have a back garden camping weekend with the dc.

(Sighing to myself as I realise that both tents are safely stored away for summer use - in the storage unit a mile away, that is closed while Govt shutdown is in force, so I can't get it out even to be laughed at on the green...…)

Hope the tent is making life easier.

We did it! The first week of self isolation when it was raining. Our neighbour thought it was to isolate the member of family that had a fever! Noo - to cold for that, it was purely to have a bit more space for the kids to go. I took it down when this nice weather came to get more garden space back.

If my neighbours put up a tent I'd laugh, but then I laugh at everything. I'd think you had had enough of the teenagers and were moving into the garden to escape!

@BiddyPop funnily enough my sleep sounds app thing is the sound of "rain on a tent"

I also signed up to a free Audible trial (for anyone else considering it you get two free books at the moment and if you tell them you're cancelling they offer it to you half price) but I can't get on board with it, it's just pleasurable for me like reading. My attention wanders too much and I have a limited span as it is

I do lots of embroidery, DH has bought me a breadmaker so I do actually have quite a bit I could do, it just feels very Groundhog Day. I think it's the knowing I can't go out until July that's the problem, it just sort of stretches out in front of me. Plus I genuinely didn't expect to get a shielding letter so I feel both depressed and a bit shocked about that.

This is actually turning out to be quite a catarthic thread! It's making me realise it's not just the boredom that's the problem it all just feels like a final straw after a shit couple of years. I've lost my job, the ability to run (loved running and miss it a lot), my driving licence, some of my memory and more importantly for MNing some of my SPaG and my family's lives have changed a lot as well as mine, and here I am causing DH even more worry than normal! My joints hurt and I'm waiting for surgery I can't have at the moment. Wah wah wah...

Also I feel guilty even feeling like this as so many people have worse problems in these times.

I think I shall set aside time each day to sit in the tent and do nothing, no reading or MNing just listen to the fighting neighbours birds and stroke the cats (not a euphemism!).

If I could find my tent extra waterproofing stuff in my shed I would definitely keep it up in all weathers.

You're all lovely here, thank you

If you've got a trampoline, I'd recommend putting the tent up on that, so comfy!

I would probably laugh if my neighbours did this but it wouldn’t be in a negative, judgemental way. It would be in a “Ha, ha next-door have got the right idea” kind of way.

This! Love it!

Is your garden secure re DC sleeping alone overnight in it tho? Years ago a little girl sleeping in a garden tent as a treat, (no adults) , was abducted. But of course if an adults with them they'll probably love it.

@CSIblonde they are teenagers/young adults and all taller than me, I think they'll be OK on their own

Sorry to read about your struggles op. It's shit when you feel like the tunnel just gets longer and longer rather than coming to an end. Taking some time out from the house, even if you're just going to look at another 4 walls, is a good idea. Getting outside and listening to the birds (I don't know what's happening but the starlings are going mad here; it sounds like they're fighting!) is very calming.

@BossAssBitch
We (me, DH and our dogs) sleep in ours sometimes, it's great! (no kids) Sounds fantastic! We tried last year but because our dc are relatively young we didn't feel we could stay out all night. Sitting inside it and watching the sun go down and the bats fluttering about was great though and it felt very cosy when it was just lit up by the fairy lights.

I only have a tiny little courtyard and no garden, but kids who really want to camp. Please enjoy it on our behalf!

We did this a couple of weeks ago! It's great.
Took it down to save the lawn but might put it up again. DD loves reading in there. It's very calming.

Does anyone have one of these easy 'pop up' tents? Are they recommended?

I'm on a camping group on facebook and loads of the members are camping in their gardens. It all started over Easter when many of them were booked in first camping of the season and then couldn't go so they put up tents in their gardens instead. They then posted with fake campsite reviews, it was a real mood lifter.

I'm a scout leader and we are encouraging all our young people to get tents up in their gardens (or some sort of den indoors).

For those of us who love our camping why not do it in the garden. As you say OP it's an extra room to use, gets you out of the house and is in the fresh air !

sadly my garden is not big enough for our tent :-(

I put my smallest tent up last week (I have a few ). Cleaned, aired and re-proofed. Just in time for the rain. It was ace, I took a mat, blanket and pillows out, and enjoyed an afternoon reading my book to the sound of rain on the tent. And even better, not coming through it.

We've got a tent to put in the garden as soon as it gets summery again. Point being so that preschooler DS can play and I can still look after baby DD and have everything we need outside and have some shade. I'm really looking forward to it.

DH reckons he's going to sleep out there with DS. I haven't camped since guides but reckon I'd give glamping a go one day.

DH has leave over half term so we are going away to our own back garden in the tent. Looking forward to bacon and egg baps cooked outside for breakfast, and hearing the dawn chorus super loud.

Years ago when DS was in y12 he and a heap of his friends spent one summer night on our trampoline in a pile of sleeping bags. We don't have the trampoline any more - and I rather wish we did as I'd like to try that too as an alternative to camping.

We had a huge family tent when I was a kid. My dad would erect it on the first day of the summer holiday and we would spend every night, regardless of weather, sleeping in it in the garden. Sometimes with our friends.

When I say "we" I meant me and my sister - my parents stayed in the house!

That sounds fab! We only have a big tent, I want a tent den now!

I was just about to recommend 'rain on a tent' noise. We had it on over the weekend when we pitched our tent in front of the fire in the living room.

Great idea, especially if it gives you extra space.

We had a trailer tent with a solid roof, and when it rained it sounded like someone frying bacon!